"He was serious but I could never have accepted it. He also has a family and a career. It is a massive operation and it was too much."

Popular: Abidal's team-mates throw him up in the air after his last game for Barcelona (Image: David Ramos)

Abidal's cousin Gerard was a match, and he ended up donating the liver to save the fullback's life.

The re-diagnosis kept him out of competitive action for 13 months, and he retired after short spells with Monaco and Olympiacos.

Abidal also revealed he refused his Barca team-mates access to see him in hospital, because he was in such a bad way and didn't want them to see what he was going through.

He added: "For seven months, I didn't do anything. I had no strength. It was draining. No sport, no training. There were dark days - I was terrified that I would never be able to play again. I would wake up and barely have the strength to move a muscle.

Bowing out: Abidal during his short spell with Olympiacos (Image: Valerio Pennicino)

"I didn't let the Barca players come to the hospital. I didn't want people to see me like that."

Support for the popular defender flooded in, with Barca's Clasico rivals Real Madrid even wearing t-shirts during their warm-up reading 'Animo Abidal', which translates as 'get well, Abidal'.

He now looks back on his retirement with pride that it was on his terms, and cancer didn't force him to quit the game he loves.